Map the Block › Places › North Carolina › New Hanover County
New Hanover County, North Carolina: crime rate, income and local data
New Hanover County averaged 3.3 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year in 2021-2025, 14% lower than the North Carolina rate (3.8). Households here have a median income of $75,166 and the unemployment rate was 3.3% in August 2026. About 235,229 people live in the county.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in New Hanover County?
Police agencies in New Hanover County reported an average of 790 violent crimes and 5,288 property crimes a year from 2021 to 2025. That is 3.3 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 14% lower than the North Carolina rate (3.8), and 10% lower than the U.S. rate (3.7). Burglary, theft and car theft together come to 22.2 per 1,000 residents, compared with 20.0 across North Carolina. Aggravated assaults make up 70% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 15 homicide deaths a year in the county (6.7 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | New Hanover County | Per 1,000 | North Carolina per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 790 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 15 | 0.06 | 0.08 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 95 | 0.40 | 0.29 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 125 | 0.52 | 0.51 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 555 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 5,288 | 22.2 | 20.0 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 714 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 4,189 | 17.6 | 14.2 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 385 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (4 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in New Hanover County?
The median household in New Hanover County earns $75,166 a year, close to the North Carolina median ($72,388). The typical owner-occupied home is valued at $387,800 by its owners; renters pay a median $1,417. 9.2% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 12.8%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.3% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 4,135 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | New Hanover County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 235,229 | 10,730,404 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $75,166 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $387,800 | $288,900 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,417 | $1,228 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 4.5% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 12.3% | 13.0% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 9.2% | 12.8% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 45.4% | 35.7% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 61.4% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 39.9 | 39.1 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 93.3% | 90.1% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 9.6% | 9.9% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in New Hanover County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, New Hanover County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively High”. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: hurricanes (Very High), tornadoes (Relatively High) and coastal flooding (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists 1 active Superfund site (final or proposed) in New Hanover County: Horton Iron And Metal. 2 other sites have finished cleanup and been taken off the list. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
Industrial chemical releases
11 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 2,730,683 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
New Hanover County was covered by 5 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Hurricane 4, Tropical Storm 1), not counting COVID-19. In 2024, 0 of 363 monitored days had an air quality index of “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse (EPA). Of 16 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 3 (low). NHTSA counted 29 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 10 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in New Hanover County?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 2 highway work zones in New Hanover County (0 active that day). Where crews are working: US 74. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in New Hanover County?
New Hanover County has 45 public schools (2024-25) and 19 private schools (2023-24) in federal school lists. 11 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 17 fire or EMS stations and 5 police or sheriff stations.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in New Hanover County
Gun shops
16 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in New Hanover County, plus 21 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). 5 of them are pawnshops licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Academy Sports And Outdoors #290 (Wilmington), Auction Orange (Wilmington), Backwater Guns (Wilmington), Backwater Guns LLC (Wilmington), Calibers / Calibers Indoor Gun Range (Wilmington), Canadys Sport Center INC (Wilmington), Cape Fear Cerakote (Wilmington), Coastal Guns & Ammo LLC (Wilmington) and 8 more.
Liquor stores
7 liquor stores are on the map in New Hanover County: ABC, ABC (Wilmington), ABC Store, ABC Store (Wilmington), ABC Stores (Castle Hayne), New Hanover County ABC Store (Wilmington) and Wrightsville Beach ABC Store (Wilmington). North Carolina has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
One Planned Parenthood health center is on the map in New Hanover County: Planned Parenthood - Wilmington Health Center (Wilmington).
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores · Planned Parenthood →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in New Hanover County?
New Hanover County averaged 790 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 3.3 per 1,000 residents, 14% lower than the North Carolina rate (3.8). The property-crime rate was 22.2 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in New Hanover County?
$75,166 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $72,388 for North Carolina and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in New Hanover County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.3% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 4,135 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect New Hanover County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, New Hanover County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively High”. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: hurricanes (Very High), tornadoes (Relatively High) and coastal flooding (Relatively High).
Are there Superfund sites in New Hanover County?
EPA lists 1 active Superfund site (final or proposed) in New Hanover County: Horton Iron And Metal. 2 other sites have finished cleanup and been taken off the list.
Is there road construction in New Hanover County right now?
On October 11, 2026 the state transportation feed listed 2 highway work zones in New Hanover County (0 active that day). Where crews are working: US 74.
How many nursing homes are in New Hanover County?
11 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does New Hanover County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick County | 152,568 | 1.9 | $77,024 |
| Pender County | 65,550 | 1.7 | $80,396 |
Cities in New Hanover County with their own page: Wilmington.
More: North Carolina statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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